As he pulled from her, she turned, snuggling down deep, deciding she’d never leave the safe softness of his bed again.
His hand stroked along her side, and Haley smiled, loving his touch, completely content in this perfect moment.
“Round three, beautiful. We’re not done yet,” he whispered, making goose bumps appear on her skin.
He had to be kidding. She was spent. Yes, she’d just told herself that she never wanted this to stop, but surely there were limits to human sensation. There was no possible way she could do that all over again. Her nervous system just couldn’t take it.
Haley ignored his words, but as Crew continued to stroke her skin, unbelievably, her body awakened again, and she found herself turning toward him.
It was a couple of hours more before, despite a touch of soreness, she found the sweet pleasure of oblivion. Her last thought before she descended into sleep was that the pain was well worth that incredible night of lovemaking.
Chapter Twenty
Waking up with the morning sun streaming through Crew’s window, Haley stretched her arms and connected with the firm muscles of Crew’s naked chest.
Deliciousness.
For just a moment, she practically purred, but reality quickly dropped down with a thud. She didn’t know the rules of a game such as this. Was she supposed to slip quietly out the door? When she’d slept over before, he’d woken her up and had her out the door so fast, she didn’t have time to think about any of those things.
Crew Storm could have any woman he wanted, and he had many of them figuratively notched on his impressive bedpost. She knew she was a novelty item, the virgin who’d asked him to be her teacher. Thinking back, she’d been quite naïve and unaware of what she’d been asking.
Teach her he had, though. She could feel confidence flowing through her. Though it wouldn’t be easy, or even possible, to be an entirely new person, at least she felt attractive, and she knew she didn’t belong in a corner. The problem was that she wanted to belong by his side.
Should she play it cool? Act as if this were no big deal? He was well aware that it wasn’t something she did all the time, but he seemed to prefer confident socialites — that’s what she’d read, anyway — so should she try and mold herself into one of them to stay at his side a while longer?
No.
Even if that was what he wanted, she couldn’t pretend to be one of those shallow women. She was just Haley Sutherland, a girl who’d missed out on life while the rest of the world continued spinning rapidly around her. I am what I am.
Just as she was deciding it was time to get up and sneak off to her room and wait for his next move, his arm snaked out and pulled her tightly against his side.
“Good morning, my little siren. I hope you slept well,” he mumbled against her neck, making all sorts of tingles dance in her stomach.
“Very well, thank you.”
“I could use a large cup of coffee, and a gigantic breakfast. I feel like I ran a marathon,” he said with a laugh.
His positive mood was a good thing. She’d just take her cue from him.
“The coffee sounds wonderful, but I need a hot shower first,” she said as she stretched her legs out and felt the soreness in her thighs. Feeling it made a grin spread across her face. She’d take her workouts beneath him any day over on top of a treadmill.
“Scratch what I said before. I’ll join you — coffee can wait.” His mouth was doing wicked things to her body, but she couldn’t go there again so soon. Maybe after a day of rest…
“I think I’ll take the shower alone for the sake of my sore…muscles,” she replied, giggling.
“Ah, you have no imagination,” he said with a wolfish grin, but his grasp loosened as he sat up in bed, then gently gripped her beneath the arms to help her up, slinging one of his arms around her back so she was still snuggled against him.
The feel of his hand massaging her back had her melting into him. His touch could turn her on fire, or soothe away her fears. A very talented man.
Her heart suffered a sudden pang of alarm while he held her in his arms. Many times she’d see lovers embracing in a park, or cozying up together at the movies. She’d envied their obvious ease in each other’s company. Now that she was getting a taste of it, she feared having to give it up.
Idly, her fingers stroked along his chest, memorizing the map of his toned muscles. She could sit like this the rest of the day and feel that there was no better thing to do in the world. Who needed to get up and work when they had a strong man to hold them in his arms all day, instead?
“I’m loving just holding you, Haley, but my body has other ideas. I don’t know how, but it does. If you don’t run away to the shower soon, I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” he warned with a playful nip on her shoulder.
The heck with being sore. It was worth it to have him pressed against her. As if he could read her thoughts, he gently shifted her away and rose from the bed with a pained but resolute expression across his beautiful features.
As he turned, her eyes were glued to his magnificent backside while he walked toward his discarded clothes and bent over. The muscles flexing in his legs were a sight to behold. She’d never been interested in painting, but as the early morning sun streamed down on his rock-hard body, she suddenly had a desire for a paintbrush and canvas. Perfection such as his should be recorded for all time.
Inspiration hit when she saw her new cell phone on the nightstand. With a quick lunge, she snatched it up and focused on his bare behind, then snapped a couple of shots. He turned incredulous eyes on her when he heard the click.
“All right, woman, get your shower. I’ll have breakfast waiting when you come out,” he said, glaring at her small black device before coming back over and giving her a lingering kiss. A low growl escaped his throat, but he turned and walked from the room.
Haley savored the moment, closing her eyes, leaning her head back, and inhaling deeply. She allowed herself to just soak it all in and think of nothing other than the fast rhythmic tempo of her heart. He was a heartbreaker — she had no doubt about that — but she was just too satisfied, too relaxed to care about that right now.
Finally getting up, she showered quickly, eager for that cup of coffee. Finding his oversized robe, she wrapped it around her body, then followed her nose to the smell of rich brewed espresso.
Crew was sitting at the table reading the paper while he sipped on a steaming mug, and she joined him, preparing her cup before grabbing a warm cinnamon roll and taking a bite, sighing as the fresh cinnamon, sugar and melted butter dripped on her tongue.